Security guard testifies to bloodied scene in Toronto Children’s Aid washroom

A security guard testified Wednesday that he encountered a disturbing, bloodied scene inside a Toronto Children’s Aid Society washroom after a woman left with an injured three-year-old. The Crown alleges the babysitter, 24-year-old Shardanae Cousins-Emily, inflicted blunt-force trauma to the boy’s head on Dec. 2, 2023. The child, identified as three-year-old Yverson Belotte Jr., also known as Quinn, died the following day.

Court heard the incident occurred at the CAS office on Isabella Street, where Cousins-Emily had brought Quinn for a scheduled Saturday visit with her own son. The security guard, identified in court by his last name, Singh, said he photographed what he described as multiple spots of blood inside a bathroom stall, on the stall door, on the adjacent wall, on the diaper-changing counter and beneath a toilet.

Singh told jurors he encountered Cousins-Emily and Quinn as they were leaving the bathroom. He said Quinn was in a stroller and had a circular injury on his forehead. Singh said he asked what had happened and Cousins-Emily replied that the child had hurt himself while playing outside.

Singh said he offered to fetch bandages and twice asked whether an ambulance was needed. He told the court he was thinking that, because the child was small, he might require medical attention. According to Singh, Cousins-Emily declined those offers and said she would go home because the child was sleeping.

Under cross-examination, defence lawyer Jacob Stilman suggested it was unusual that Cousins-Emily left the building with the child not wearing pants on a cold December day. Singh agreed the lack of clothing for the child struck him as odd. Defence counsel also probed Singh about his observations of Cousins-Emily’s demeanour. Singh said she was speaking coherently and that he was not concerned about her behaviour, but acknowledged he had no specialised training to detect mental-health issues.

The Crown introduced surveillance footage and photographs taken by Singh as exhibits. The images shown to the jury display apparent spots of blood in a stall, on the stall door and wall, on the diaper-changing area and under the toilet. Court exhibits also include stills of Cousins-Emily entering and exiting the washroom with Quinn in a stroller.

Crown attorney Rochelle Liberman told jurors the evidence will show the child sustained blunt-force trauma to the head on Dec. 2, 2023. Prosecutors say he died of his injuries on Dec. 3. The particulars of the charge, as read in court, allege that the accused inflicted fatal blunt-force trauma to the child’s head while inside the washroom.

Cousins-Emily has not admitted to harming the child. On the first day of the trial, the jury heard that she sent a message to Quinn’s mother on Instagram before her arrest, saying the child had hit his head on pavement and denying responsibility for his death.

Defence counsel has criticised aspects of the Crown’s account during cross-examination, pointing to what he described as inconsistencies and raising questions about why the woman and child left the washroom in the state they did. The defence has not yet called evidence to rebut the Crown’s case.

The trial is ongoing. Jurors will hear additional witnesses and technical evidence as the Crown seeks to prove the allegations that the child died as a result of blunt-force trauma inflicted by the accused. No verdict has been reached.

Readouts of testimony and exhibits shown in court are provisional until entered as evidence. The accused remains before the court and is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The court scheduled further dates for continued testimony.